, 1887-08-09
MANIA OF THE MALAY.
The Strange and Terrible Historical Az
fectIon Called Running Amuok."

The Strange and Terrible HISTORICAL Ar
fectIon Called Running Amuck-"
Running amuck'' is a phrase derived
from the Malay word "amok'' (''kill-
ing'O and constitutes a well marked
hysterical affection of certain races IN
habiting oriental countries. 1t is rarely,
If ever, manifested among the quiet tenn
pered Hindoos, and Int seldom among
the Indian Mussulmans, which, when
ever it does occur in HindoStan, the
malady may generally be traced to the
abuse of opium or the extract of hemp
called bhang, ganja or charras. The
Hindoo t-obacconist sells a special confec-
ton made of bhang, opium, datura,
cloves mastic, cinnamon and carda-
NUNS, which is mixed with milk and
sugar and eaten as a sweetmeat. This
diabolical cake-known as majum-will
drive a man mad about as soon as my
thing. With the Malays, however, who
have given a name to the terrible mental
alteration of which we speak, and who
are by far the most addicted to it of all
eastern people, there is seldom any
such explanation of the outbreak.
Suddenly, without rhyme or reason,
a man will spring up from his shop
board or his couch, draw his kris-the
wave bladed dagger which they all carry
and, with a scream of "Amokl AmokI'
strike its point into the heart of the near
est wayfarer and dart down the crowded
bazaar like the lunatic which he is, stab
bling and cutting on all sides. ''AmokI
Amok!' issues from a hundred mouths,
and everybody hurries for a place of ref
uge, fleeing in all directions, except those
bolder spirits who snatch up weapons of
defense and join the armed throng which
pursues the desperate. The path of the
chase is soon strewn with bodies of men,
women and children, dead or bleeding to
death, until some lucky shot or daring
thrust disables the murderer, who is
pierced with a dozen blades as o as he
falls to the ground. Occasionally it
turns out that the "'amoker'' has received
some personal affront or injury or was
hopelessly in debt or disappointed in love;
blu more commonly there is nothing
whatever to account for the wild fury of
his proceedings, and the street sweepers
drag his carcass as carelessly away as if
"a leopard had been slain in the public
streets. So ordinary, indeed, is the &C.
currence hat in many towns and cities
where there lives a large Malay popula-
ton, an instrument is kept in readiness at
every police station called the ''amoker
catcher. 1t il something like an eel
spear with a very long handle, and 80
contrived that two elastic pointed spikes
close around the mad mans neck, and
secure him helplessly when the iron
prongs are pushed against the nape from
behind.
Neither rank nor wealth keeps a Malay
from this sudden access of homicidal
p,onin &c ba ln, 1I,o ,,ol;n.an,4sz. l.
been greatly excited. There was an in
stance at Salatiga, in the island of Java,
where the regent was celebrating the
marriage of two of his daughters, and
everybody was in n festive and Joyous
mood. Just, however, 1T the gayest mo-
ment of the ceremonies the regents
brother-in-law, a high official, came rush
ing through the procession, stabbing
everybody he could get at with his jeweled
kris. The regent himself, coming up to
inquire into the uproar, was killed by a
single thrust, and it was the brother of
the prince who ran the ''moker'' through
the back with a spear and brought him
down, yet not before he had slaughtered
nine of the palace people and wounded
six others more or less severely.
1t might be supposed that a race sub
ject to such ferocious fits would be nat
urally excitable and nervous in manner;
but the contrary is the case. The Malay
is of all men the most quiet, dignified and
slow Of speech and action in his ordinary
life. He seldom speaks loudly or quickly,
has the most courteous and even gentle
demeanor and quarrels very rarely with
his fellows. Yet he is coldly and silently
cruel; has no regard for human life and
derives from the Mohammedan faith,
which he processes, its bitterest and most
relentless dogmas. Once started on the
"death run" by insult, despair or some
brain trouble, his only thought is to "kiIl
and kill and kill, " and in the fierce ex-
ultation of his insanity he does not feel
the blow which lets out his burning blood
and puts a stop to his dreadful career
London Telepranh